The present invention generally relates to an improved support assembly, more particularly to a support assembly which has a structure including a retainer member that greatly enhances the ability of the support assembly to withstand withdrawal forces, including twisting withdrawal forces. The support assembly includes a plurality of inelastic, flexible cables that are joined together by a plurality of spaced apart securement members to form an elongated eye for receiving and wedging therewithin a free end of at least one of the inelastic, flexible cables in order to complete the formation of a support loop of a desired size and configuration. The free end includes an end assembly having a rigid means securely attached onto the cable in combination with a retainer member that is slidably mounted on the cable in a manner such that the retainer member is slidable along the cable up until it engages the rigid member, and not therebeyond. The retainer member has two orientations, one which prevents passage of the end assembly through the eye, and the other of which permits, upon proper manipulation, passage of the end assembly through the eye in at least an inserting direction and preferably also in a withdrawing direction when desired.
In any number of applications, there is a need for a device for securely attaching, supporting and/or suspending one component or member with respect to another component or member, or a device for encircling a member or a plurality of members in order to function as a safety cable or the like. U.S. Pat. No. 4,519,564, the subject matter thereof being incorporated hereinto, discloses a support assembly that is capable of performing these types of functions in many different instances. In some instances, certain applications are unusually demanding in their requirements to prevent disassembly or pull-out because of the development of unusually excessive forces, especially non-longitudinal or twisting or bending forces which may tend to separate even the most secure of support assemblies.
An example of the type of application in which unusually high forces of this type are encountered are in connection with safety cables for movable bulkheads within railway cars, tractor trailers, and the like. Safety cables of this general type are utilized in order to provide adequate support for a bulkhead in the event that it inadvertently becomes detached from its supporting structures. Oftentimes, these safety cables are subjected to abusive conditions and extremely high forces due to the mass of these large bulkhead devices. When such bulkhead devices include pivotable mounts, occasions arise when inordinantly high forces can be applied to a bulkhead safety cable, especially when it is twisted around a bulkhead mounting structure after a pivotally mounted bulkhead has been rotated more than once in substantially the same direction. Under circumstances such as these, forces are developed which exert non-longitudinal stresses on the support assembly or cable. Stresses of this type have transverse directional components which tend to exert substantial prying or twisting disassembly forces that can exceed the pull-out strength of devices such as those of U.S. Pat. No. 4,519,564.
Another example of the application of a safety type of function that can be performed by these types of devices in order to provide secondary or back-up support is one in which an article is to be retained in place should it become inadvertently disconnected from its primary support. An example of an application of this variety includes safety cables and safety support assemblies for members such as a bottom rod of a railway brake mechanism, which assemblies are provided in case the bottom rod becomes disconnected from the brake lever and would otherwise fall from the railway car.
Further examples of uses which require support assemblies that are exceptionally durable include those in which one member must be suspended from another, usually more massive, member in a manner whereby the suspended member retains some freedom of movement with respect to other member. For example, an air brake hose of a railway car can be suspended from the railway car coupler by a suspension device that allows limited movement of the air brake hose in order to facilitate its connection to the remainder of the air brake mechanism while permitting the air brake hose to move as needed in order to avoid undesirable uncoupling, while still restricting movement of the hose to an extent that uncoupling is accomplished only when it is desired. Additional applications require the attachment of one article to another while providing enough flexibility and limited movement so as to retain the suspended article within an area of movement that is limited according to the particular needs of the structures involved, such as in the case of mooring lines, guide wires, hoist cables, fixture hangers, and the like. A further type of application securely and tightly affixes one member to another in order to effect fast repairs, such as affixing an exhaust pipe or the like to an undercarriage of an automobile, or in order to replace a cotter pin, or to provide seals for railway cars, tractor trailers, and the like.
In summary, the present invention is a support assembly capable of being used for the purposes discussed herein, the assembly being relatively inexpensive and easy to use and manufacture while being especially strong and capable of withstanding severe environmental conditions, if necessary. The support assembly of the present invention includes a plurality of inelastic, flexible and stiff cables and a plurality of securement members spaced along and rigidly connecting these cables in order to thereby form a stiff elongated eye. An end assembly is provided at a free end of at least one of the cables, the end assembly including a rigid member securely attached to the cable, as well as a retainer member that is slidably mounted on the cable in a manner so that the retainer member is slidable along the cable up until it engages the rigid member and not therebeyond. The cables of the eye assembly are sufficiently resilient so that the eye will expand to permit passage to the end assembly therethrough when the retainer of the end assembly is in a generally longitudinally directed orientation. The end assembly and the eye also cooperate to provide extremely secure engagement or assembly when the retainer member is in a substantially transversely directed orientation. If desired, the securement or assembly thus afforded by the cooperation between the eye and the end assembly can be undone once slack is provided therebetween and by moving the retainer member to its generally longitudinally directed orientation so that it can be fed through the eye and so that it will assist in feeding the rigid member through the eye. The user of this support assembly can thread the end assembly through a supporting aperture and/or wrap the support assembly around or between one or more supporting members and thereafter feed the end assembly through the elongated eye, after which movement of the retainer member to its generally transversely directed orientation will prevent unintentional passage of the end assembly through the eye.
It is accordingly a general object of the present invention to provide an improved support assembly for securely affixing, attaching, securing, or encircling one component with respect to another component.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved support assembly in the general nature of an elongated cable device which is secured to itself in a manner that prevents unintentional release from such securement.
Another object of this invention is to provide an improved support assembly that is a cable-like device which is capable of being secured to itself in an especially secure manner while possessing the ability to be unsecured when desired.
Another object of this invention is to provide a support assembly that is particularly useful in functioning as a safety cable device for the mounting means of bulkheads within railway cars, tractor trailers, or the like.
Another object of this invention is to provide an improved assembly for supporting, suspending or encircling in a manner that is especially secure while still providing the ability to disassemble the apparatus when desired.